its ghetto, ive had it on for like 4 months, as soon as i put it on a HUGE diff was felt. basically i drilled two holes right through and made sure it was symmetrically mounted on the cars body.

 

I wish making one for my car was that easy LOL. TPI is a little harder to clear. I love it, it's simple, functional, and easy to remove, only thing is the tops of the towers may still move, but if you dont beat the tar out of it, it should be fine.

 

tops of the towers? the top of the shcok towers?

i do beat the hell out of it. i am HARD on my car. the car doesnt make the nosies when jacking it nowadays though... it will also lift the rear tire too, from the front jack point... and i dont have subframes...

the bar is actually a VERY tight fit. i had to basically hammer it down onto my bolts then put the nuts on. so i know it works and isnt loose on the bolts. just gotta measure carefully and you can do it. also, it is NOT hitting the aircleaner, i got ot looking at my pci and noticed that. just wanted to clarify that.

 

I have a TPI setup, and it's really tight in there. going straight across like yours would put the bar into my intake. That does look like it'd work pretty well, and would tighten the car up. Anyways, like I stated above, way to keep it simple, and make it effective. I might try to make one, cuz I have an autocross meet on sunday, and have done NOTHING to stiffen the car yet.

 

You really should install a Steering Brace (aka Wonderbar). The sooner the better. It costs less to buy and install the brace than to repair the crack from the steering gear box breaking away from the frame.

Lon

 

The IROC's came with a form of the wonderbar stock, and it's faired well so far, but should I fab one up while i do the STB? I had a bunch of 1" tubing given to me.

 

If you have an IROC, then it has a wonderbar. Your signature indicated 1987 Z28, not IROC. Z28's lacked the brace. A stock wonderbar brace is better than none at all. The GM wonderbar has a .75" center bar, so your 1" diameter tubing is an improvement IF it has sufficient wall thickness. If you intend on making one, make it removable.

Lon

 

Pics of said "wonderbar"?

 

Top-Down Solutions version (aka mine). The brace bolts in between the front sway bar mounting brackets and the frame. A Steering Brace (also known as a Wonderbar) performs two functions. First, it ties the left and right sides of the frame together under the front of the car, which maintains the correct geometry of the pitman arm and idler arm during cornering. Second, the Steering Brace strengthens the chassis and takes stress off of the steering gear box mount. It is common in ThirdGen F-Bodies for fatigue and stress cracks to form around the steering gear box mounting location. It costs less to buy and install the brace than it costs to repair the damage caused by the steering gear box cracking the frame.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

any chance of a '88 gta having a wonder bar, or nah?

 

GTAs should have them too. Unless a previous own took it off for some odd reason.

Pop your hood, and look down at the sway bar. Is there a second bar along the side of your sway bar? If so, that's the wonderber.

 

Intersting idea.

If I wasn't going to convert to rack and pinion in my truck, I'd make something like that, since it does sound like a good idea.

 

Actually it would be the opposite. GM did not install a Steering Brace (aka wonderbar on the GTA. If yours has one a previous owner installed it after the car left the factory.

Lon

 

any one have pictures of the wonder bar installed..or know what/where it bolts to? i assume this can be made rather than buying.

ps..anybody know the demensions on this

 

it bolts into the same holes as your sway bar

 

just wanted to say, i am awesome.

 

OK, I went to"the source"! LOL

www.gtasourcepage.com

Anyways, we put one on my wife's 89 RS, my 87 GTA has one, and I LOVE them!

Maybe I'll start looking at junkyards a little closer! And snagging them ALL up, sand them down, repaint them, and then sell them all off. Except for my 89 GTA. It doesn't have one. I always wondered why it didn't.

 

Yes I'm sure of it.

Lon

 

Weird...My Edit took forever to actually upload, I guess. It looks like I Edited after your response now, but honestly, I didn't.

 

If you just like building stuff, then go ahead and try fabbing a wonderbar. But really, Lon's is so cheap and easy to install, and has such an incredible impact on the handling of the car, that you would be an IDIOT not to just buy one!
It looks terrific and I installed it in less than an hour( including helping a neighbor work on his 'Vette!). Having it mount first with the two outside bolts and THEN the sway bar bolts meant I was not trying to hold it in place with one hand and wrestle with the sway bar with the other- bloody genius engineering! The instructions could NOT be clearer, the install could NOT be easier and the results could NOT be better!
'Cause you could spend your weekend buying materials, measuring, cutting, welding, finding you did something wrong, starting over, measuring, cutting, welding, driving to the powdercoaters, waiting, driving home, jacking the car...

 

Why? If a person can weld, or has a friend to weld for them, I think you'd be an idiot not to just build it yourself. Short of the powder coating, it would be a simple thing to build. A couple of welds, a few holes holes to drill, and you are done.

No offense to Lon, but $50? Drop the powder coating, and you are talking about $10 worth of material + labor.

And if you had an OEM one in hand, it would be simple to copy, and make multiple ones for friends. No laying under a car, measuring, trial fitting, etc.

 

then again, if the person can weld, you could also cut out the inner fenderwells, and make a tube chassis style inner fenderwell. thats only like $40 in materals.

 

A tube chassis fenderwell is FAR, FAR from a wonder bar. You are talking about the strut support, that has to do with suspension geometry.

That is like comparing a table leg, to a house. Hell, they are both wood. Just nails. A stick compared to geometrical support...Not even CLOSE!

I can weld. I've built BIG structural signs, that people park under, drive under, etc. But that in no way means I can build a tube chassis! A lot more knowledge is needed as to how it is construced, than the simple ability to weld.

 

I just looked up my cost. FYI, the price of the laser-cut mounting pads ALONE is higher than $10. That priice was from a year ago. I had to buy 50% more than previously (to the tune of nearly $1200) to get that price. I regognize that this post originated form someone that made a STB on their own from scrap materials on-hand. The thread can take on that same slant and attitude. Making parts at home (free labor with free materials) can't be compared to the real cost it requires to bring a quality part such as mine to market at a fair price. Trust me, I do everything I can to maintain my prices.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

Laser cutting certainly would jump the price. Cost vs production rate. Something to consider. Like, does a person sell enough to warrant laser vs CNC cutting? Not a question for you Lon, just one of the things a builder has to consider.

And personal time. Does the person have plenty of free time (like me) to sit and hand cut them, weld them by hand vs machine welding, one by one.

For that matter, powder coating can be dome at home, with the right space & equipment.

I wasn't trying to down your product Lon, no.

To get back on topic, they are like home-made a STB. If you have the time, skills, & ability, you can build your own STB, if not, buy an aftermarket one.

My only point was, if you have the ability, you can build your own products, for cheaper. Like SFCs. My buddy built his on his 'vert, for under $50. Is it as fancy and mandrel bent/formed like an aftermarket one? No. Is it just as strong, and works as good? Yes. Granted, it is no Double Diamond, but they are as good as any $200 2 point SFC.

 

anybody have any idea if 89 trans am with ws6 would have the wonder bar?
thnx

 

Apparently, wonder bars were Camaro items. Pontiacs apparently never got them, from the factory. But, they are a perfect fit, except for on TTAs. My 87 GTA has one.

 

wow i came in here to look at a home made STB and found why my car doesn't have a wonder bar. thanks guys.

BTW Lon I plan on buying one of your wonder bars before my next race. from what i can tell your bar is the only one that fit as good if not better then stock.

 

will wonder bar fix the squick sounds from doors when going over rough terrain or do i need subframe connectors?
thnx for the info

 

SFCs will likely make more difference.